Rotary printer for numbering including general wheel drive means

ABSTRACT

A printing head on a rotary numbering machine for printing footages on cables and the like comprises one axis for printing disks and another, parallel, axis for auxiliary geneva mechanisms. For the first two disks geneva wheels are mounted on the auxiliary axis and geneva cams on the disk axis while for later disks the geneva cams are on the auxiliary axis and the geneva wheels on the disk axis. Two sets of alignment holes are provided, one through the elements on each axis.

I United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,777,660 Otto Dec. 11, 1973 [54] ROTARY PRINTER FOR NUMBERING 3,120,800 2/1964 Hard 101 72 INCLUDING GENERAL WHEEL DRIVE 3,351,005 11/1967 G1or1 101/77 MEANS 1,919,493 7/1933 Zubaty..... 235/139 R X 3,494,549 2/1970 Spath 1 1 235/139 R [75] Inventor: Joachim F. Otto, Point Pleasant, ,108 10/1953 Hamclink..... 235/139 R X NJ. 3,618,852 11/1971 Kes et al, 235/144 SM x 3,065,909 11/1962 Herz 235/139 R [73] Assignee: The Anaconda Company, New

York Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey [22] Filed; Nov. 18, 1971 Assistant Examiner-E. M. Coven pp No 200 102 Attorney-Victor F. Volk I l 23 l 9 R [57] ABSTRACT 01/77 H A printing head on a rotary numbering machine for 5 Fie'ld l0 72 80 printing footagos on cables and the like comprises one .i'fia'jgl'i "'i axis for printing disks and another, parallel, axis for auxiliary geneva mechanisms. For the first two disks geneva wheels are mounted on the auxiliary axis and [56] References Clted geneva cams on the disk axis while for later disks the UNITED STATES PATENTS geneva cams are on the auxiliary axis and the geneva 2,483,359 9/1949 BllSS 235/139 R wheels 0 the axi5 Two ets 0f alignment holes 2 et i are provided, one through the elements on each axis. o nson..... 2,947,244 8/1960 Long 101/77 6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENIEOHEB 1 1 ms 3.777.660

SHEET 2 BF 5 PAIENIEUnEc H 4975 3 777 ssu SHEET 3 OF 5 PATENTED DEC] 1 I973 SHEET 5 OF 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sequential printing apparatus is widely used for imprinting length designations on elongated articles of relatively great length, such as telephone cables, as well as for the consecutive numbering of individual articles. Such apparatus, to which the present invention is applicable, comprises a printing head having a plurality of printing disks aligned on a common axis. The rims of the disks bear raised or intaglio numerals to be imprinted in a decimal notation. The first of the disks, bearing the digit numerals, is turned by appropriate gearing or triggering of some outside means and the remaining disks are each turned one numeral (36 in the decimal system) by a complete revolution of the 1164i preceding lower-in-line disk. Where footage markings are to be imprinted on an advancing cable the printing head is mounted on a rotating frame in such a manner that the head as a whole rotates in a circle equal in circumference to the interval between imprints. An apparatus illustrative of this type is described in Burr et al. US. Pat. No. 3,143,959. In this type of apparatus, where the head is mounted on a rotating frame, the gear train to turn the first disk is conveniently actuated by the rotation of the frame. A number of problems are presented by cable printing apparatus of the rotating frame type which are not encountered, or at least not encountered to so great a degree, by other types of decimal printing or indicating devices. A first problem is due to the size limitation inherent in the limited circumference of frame rotation within which the printing I head must be fitted, bearing in mind that the printing head must include not only the gearing to drive the first disk, but the tens mechanisms for advancing the remaining disks and appropriate reset devices. Another problem is associated with the high speed of operation required for economical production which will be in excess of 500 feet per minute. When the frame is rotating at so high a peripheral speed the elements of the printing head are subjected to centrifugal and precessive forces not otherwise encountered. The need for ruggedness is'accentuated by the repeated high-speed encounters of the printing faces with tough cable surfaces. These will not only quickly break any fragile elements but will tend to thrust the disks out of sequence if they are not positively locked during each encounter. Since the encounters of the printing disks with the cable take the form of a circular are as the supporting frame is rotated, the printing surface, itself, must be arcuate. This results in the end disks having smaller diameters than those in the center and determines a further space limitation which has only been overcome with sufficient ruggedness of construction by my present invention.

in application to Charles H. Davis, Ser. No. 126,812, now US. Pat. 3,708,1 l 2 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is described method and apparatus whereby only the highest wheel of a sequential counting machine need be reset upon starting a fresh count. Among the other purposes of the present invention I propose to adopt the principle of the Davis invention to a more ruggedly constructed printing head, particularly to one employing the positive setting advantages of geneva wheel tens advancement.

SUMMARY I have invented a novel printing head of great ruggedness and reliability which has overcome the aforementioned deficiencies of presently used heads and has particular advantages for the sequential printing of length markings on cables. My new head comprises a plurality of printing disks aligned on a common axis, first shaft means rotatably supporting these disks, frame means supporting the shaft means and second shaft means, parallel to the first shaft means, also supported by the frame means. My head also comprises first gear means driving a first-in-line of the printing disks, a first geneva wheel rotatably mounted on the second shaft means, first geneva cam means fixed to the first-in-line printing disk rotatably therewith, this cam means cooperating with the geneva wheel through a preselected angle upon each revolution of the first-in-line disk. My head further comprises gear means turning a second-in-line printing disk in response to the rotation of the first geneva wheel, at least one other geneva wheel fixed to a further-in-line of the printing disks rotatably around the axis of the first shaft means, second geneva cam means rotatably mounted on the second shaft means engaging and thereby rotating the other geneva wheel and second gear means driven by a lower-in-line of the printing disks for driving the second geneva cam means. For preferred applications the first gear means is responsive to the rotation of the numbering machine. Advantageously the first geneva wheel will comprise only five slots spaced 72 apart and the geneva wheels fixed to the printing disks will comprise ten slots, spaced 36 apart. Advantageously, also, my head may comprise a second geneva wheel, which may also advantageously comprise only five slots, mounted to rotate around the second shaft and drive members of the first gear means.

I have invented a numbering machine comprising a housing, first and second parallel shafts supported by the housing, a plurality of numbering disks rotatably mounted on the first shaft and a plurality of geneva wheels fixed individually to the disks for rotating them. My machine also comprises a plurality of toothed driving gears fixed individually to at least some of the disks and rotatable with them and a plurality of driven gears .mounted on the second shaft individually fixed to the geneva cams and meshing with the driving gears. As an essential feature this embodiment of my invention comprises first walls defining an alignment hole having a common axis through the disks, geneva wheels, and driving gears, second walls defining an alignment hole having a common axis through the geneva cams and the driven gears, and at least one removable alignment rod fitting each of the alignment holes. Preferably my machine comprises means, such as slots in the walls supporting one of the shafts, for limitedly increasing the distance between the shafts sufficiently to clear the cams from the geneva wheels and means, such as a bracket engaging a shaft and confining it to portions of the slots, for locking the shafts at an optimum separation for the engagement of the geneva wheels by the cams.

in a particular preferred embodiment of my invention the first-in-line of the disks bears only alternate digits but these are repeated so that when one set has worn the other set can be used. The remaining disks have the complete set of digits, 0-9.

I have used the word disk to designate the numeral bearing elements but other words customary in the arts of printing such as wheel or *die" might have been used within the scope of my invention which I will now explain with reference to a detailed embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a sectional view, through the line l-l of FIG. 2 of a printing head of my invention.

FIG. 2 shows a section through the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a section through the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a section through the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows an elevation of a printing disk and associated geneva wheel of my invention cut away to expose an attached driving gear.

FIG. 6 shows an elevation of a geneva cam from my apparatus and its associated driven gear.

FIG. 7 shows a section through the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 shows a pictorial view of a locking bracket comprised in my invention.

FIG. 10 shows a side view, partly in section, of a portion of a printing machine incorporating my invention.

FIG. 11 shows a section through my apparatus as indicated by the lines ll--l1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 shows the numbering ofa first-in-line disk of my apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT My printing head apparatus, indicated generally by the numeral 10, is shown in section in FIG. 1 comprising parallel shafts ll, 12 supported in a housing 13 by means of walls 14, 15 of the housing. Printing wheels or disks l7, 18, 19, 20, 21, capable of printing numbers up to 99,998 are mounted in axial alignment on the shaft 11. It will be understood that, according to the magnitude of therequired count, greater or fewer of the printing disks may be mounted on the shaft 11 within the scope of my invention. The diameters of the disks 17-2l are not the same, the first and last in line being smaller, so that printing surfaces 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 have the contour of a circle 27 with center 28 around which the head 10 is rotated by a frame 30 (FIG. 10), for repeated printing upon the surface of an advancing cable which does not appear in the drawing. As shown in FIG. 1 the head 10 is at the top of its revolution around the center 28. Printing upon the cable takes place at the bottom of the circle when the head is moved 180, in the illustrated example but, of course, the novel features of my invention will have application to apparatus that prints at other positions on the circle,

has more than one printing head on the same circle or prints more than once in each revolution. In the application illustrated for which my invention has found its greatest utility, the circumference of the circle 27 is exactly two feet so that the entire sequential printing head 10 is confined to a semicircle of radius less than four V inches. Within this small compass, however, great ruggedness must be built into the head 10 since, not only must it withstand the centrifugal and precessional forces hereinabove mentioned, but it must withstand repeated impacts since each encounter of the disk surfaces with the cable has some impact and, indeed, when irregular or oversize cable passes through the printing machine these impacts will be severe. irregularities in the cable surface and eccentric positioning of the cable in the machine applies a torque to the printing disks tending to turn one or more of them out of sequence and this has created a major problem in the operation of conventional printing heads. To reset the count on the head 10 only the disk 26 is changed as described in the aforementioned Davis application Serial No. 126,812 the subject matter of which, so far as it is relevant, is incorporated by reference herein. As described by Davis air pressure against the shaft 11 turns the disk 21 upon being reset, by urging cam 32 against a cam follower 31. The disk 17 has an extended hub 29 which supports a toothed driven gear 33 on the left of the disk and a geneva cam 34 on the right of the disk fastened to the disk 17 to turn therewith, by pins 35. The disk 18 has an extended hub 36 supporting a driven gear 37 on the left and a driving gear 38 on the right locked, similarly, by one or more pins 35 to turn with the disk 18. The disk 19 has an extended hub 39 supporting a ten-slotted wheel 41 on the left and a driving gear 42 on the right, fastened to turn with the disk 19. The disk 20 has an extended hub 43 supporting a ten-slotted geneva wheel 44 on the left and a driving gear 45 on the right, fastened to turn with the disk 20. The disk 21 has an extended hub 46 supporting a ten-slotted geneva wheel 47 fastened to turn the disk 21. Upon the shaft 12 are rotatably mounted a driving gear 48, fastened to a five-slotted geneva wheel 50, a driving gear 51, fastened to a five-slotted geneva wheel 49, a driven gear 52, fastened to a geneva cam 53, a driven gear 54, fastened to a geneva cam 56, and a driven gear 57, fastened to a geneva cam 58. The geneva cam 59 (FIGS. 2 and 11) supported on a rotating stub shaft 61 engages slots 62 by means of a projection 77. A timing belt pulley 63 turns the shaft 61 in bearing 64 urged by a timing belt 66 (FIG. 10), a fixed shaft 67 on the center of rotation 28 is fitted with a bevel gear 68 meshing with a similar gear 69 to turn a timing belt pulley 71 adjustably fixed by means of a split lock collar 72 to a rotating shaft 73. A non-sequential printing die 74 is weighted to serve as a dynamic balance to the head 10 since the illustrated machine prints a footage marking only at 2-foot intervals; but the die 74 may be replaced by an additional head 10 where it is desired to have each foot of length numbered.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the first-and second-in-line printing disks l7 and 18 are affixed to and directly rotated by means of gears, namely the gears 33 and 37 while the further-inline disks 19, 20, 21 are affixed to and directly rotated by geneva wheels, respectively the ten-slotted wheels 41,

44, and 47. By this unexpected means I have enabled to fit geneva mechanisms into a severly limited space while still retaining sufficient thickness to the elements for the desired ruggedness. Since it is desired only to print every 2 feet the five-slotted geneva wheel, which advances the disk 17 through the gears 48, 33 72 for each revolution of the head around the center 28, is well suited. However, the second-in-line tens disk 18 must print each number and advance at 36 angles. Since the geneva wheel 49 is also five-slotted the gear 37 has twice the pitch diameter of the gear 51.

A three-pronged pawl 78 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 79 that projects inwardly from the housing wall is urged (FIG. 4) against the geneva wheels 41, 44, 47 by a compression spring unit 81 to retain perfect alignment of the disks 19, 20, 21.

An alignment hole 82 through each of the elements on the shaft 11 also pierces the walls 14 and 15 as does another alignment hole 83 through each of the elements on the shaft 12. When it is necessary to replace a worn or broken disk or other element of my printing head it will be understood that each of the gears, geneva wheels, and geneva cams must be accurately aligned to assure that the numbers print in a straight line in the correct order. The operators who may be required to replace an element assembly are not, however, necessarily skilled mechanics. For this reason, and for the reason that, even for a skilled mechanic, it is difficult to properly align all the elements on one of the shafts ll, 12 and particularly, to align the assembled shafts with each other so that the gears, cams and wheels properly intermesh, I provide alignment rods 84, 86 having slide fits respectively through the holes 82, 83. Slots 87, 88 rather than cylindrical holes, in the walls 14, 15 receive the shaft 12. By this means the shaft can be shifted enough for the clearance of the gears mounted on the two shafts, such as the gears 42, 54 and for the clearance of the geneva wheels such as the wheels 44 from the geneva cams, such as the cam 56, and the gear and geneva elements can be rotated for alignment and insertion of the rods 84, 86. With the rods inserted the shaft 12 is shifted to its operating position to intermesh the gears in their proper relation and are locked in that position by means of a bracket 89 having end slots 91, 92 (FIG. 9) which closely confine the shaft 12. The bracket 89 is securely fixed in recesses 93, 94 of the walls 14, 15 by hand bolts 96, 97. Elongated holes 98, in the walls 14, 15 permit the bracket be shifted while the rods 84, 86 are inserted and these rods are removed when the bolts 96, 97 have been secured and the shaft 12 is in operating position.

OPERATION 1n the operation of my head for the sequential marking of cable it is, of course, essential that rotation of the disks within the headshould have been completed before the head is rotated to the bottom of the circle 27. My invention has a great advantage, in this regard, in that the geneva mechanism operation is positively locked in relation to the rotation and the precise moment can be predetermined for the movement of all the elements within the head. These take place while the head is traversing an arc of about 108 leaving 252 of revolution during which the numerals are fixed in position. Where inking is required to be applied to the printing surface, rather than printing through an inking tape, the 25 2 arc allows ample space and time for the inking step. To adjust the printing cycle the head 10 is rotated around the axis 28 until the disk 17 starts to rotate. At this time the timing belt is caused to idle by loosening the lock collar 72 and timing pulley 71 until the head 10 reaches a position about 54 below the top of the circle. At this point the lock collar is tightened and by the time the head has moved 54 past the top of the circle the number change cycle will have been completed. To consider the operation of my head during this cycle it will be instructive to'imagine that the count stands at 29,998 feet at the beginning of the cycle. When the collar 72 has been locked continued rotation of the head around the axis will cause the shaft 73 to LII rotate, urged by the bevel gear 69. The timing pulley 71, locked to the shaft 72, will also rotate and turn the pulley 63 by means of the timing belt 66. The pulley 63 is locked to the shaft which terminates in geneva cam 59. The projection 77, entering a slot 62 of the geneva wheel 50 will turn the geneva wheel and the gear 48 through an angle of 72. The gear 48 will turn the equal toothed gear 33 through 72 along the disk 17, advancing the exposed surface 22 from the numeral 8 to the numeral 0, and at the same time turning the cam 34 to engage a slot in the geneva wheel 49 and advance it 72 along with the gear 51. Turning of the gear 51 through 72 will advance its driven gear 37, having twice the pitch diameter, through 36 turning the disk 18 to expose the numeral 0 and advance the gear 38 and its meshing gear 52 through 36. This will cause the geneva cam 53 to engage a slot in the geneva wheel 41 and advance it 36 exposing the numeral 0 of the disk 19 and at the same time, turn the gear 42 and its meshing gear 54 through 36. Rotation of the gear 54 will turn the geneva cam 56 to engage a slot in the geneva wheel 44 and thus turn the disk 20 to expose the numeral 0, at the same time advancing the gear 45 and its meshing gear 57 through 36. The cam 58, caused to rotate by the gear 57, will engage a slot in the geneva wheel 47 and turn the disk 21 to expose the numeral 3.

l have invented a new and useful numbering head of which the foregoing description has been exemplary rather than definitive and for which I desire an award of Letters Patent as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A printing head for a rotary numbering machine comprising:

A. a plurality comprising first-in-line, second-in-line and further-in-line of printing disks aligned on a common axis,

B. first shaft means rotatably supporting said disks,

. C. frame means supporting said first shaft means,

D. second shaft means parallel to said first shaft means, said second shaft means being supported by said frame means,

E. first gear means driving said first-in-line of said disks, said first gear means comprising a gear fixed to said first-in-line disk,

F. a first geneva wheel, comprising a plurality of slots,

rotatably mounted on said second shaft means,

G. a first geneva cam fixed to said first-in-line disk rotatably therewith, said cam comprising a projection entering said slots in said first geneva wheel to retate said first geneva wheel through a preselected angle upon each revolution of said first-in-line disk.

H. second gear means turning said second-in-line disk in reponse to the rotation of said first geneva wheel, said second gear means comprising intermeshing gears fixed to said second-in-line disk and to said first geneva wheel,

. at least one other geneva wheel, comprising a plurality of slots, fixed to a further-in-line of said disks rotatably around the axis of said first shaft means,

J. a second geneva cam, rotatably mounted on said second shaft means, and comprising a projection entering said slots in said other geneva wheel and thereby rotating said other geneva wheel and,

K. third gear means comprising intermeshing gears fixed to said second-in-line disk and to said second geneva cam, for driving said second geneva cam.

rotation by said second geneva wheel.

5. The head of claim 4 wherein said second geneva wheel comprises only five slots.

6. The head of claim 1 wherein said first-in-line of said disks bears only alternate of the tens digits, 0-9, and the remaining of said disks bears each of said ten digits, said alternate digits being repeated on said firstin-line disk whereby a second set of said digits can be used in replacement, said first set being worn. 

1. A printing head for a rotary numbering machine comprising: A. a plurality comprising first-in-line, second-in-line and further-in-line of printing disks aligned on a common axis, B. first shaft means rotatably supporting said disks, C. frame means supporting said first shaft means, D. second shaft means parallel to said first shaft means, said second shaft means being supported by said frame means, E. first gear means driving said first-in-line of said disks, said first gear means comprising a gear fixed to said first-inline disk, F. a first geneva wheel, comprising a plurality of slots, rotatably mounted on said second shaft means, G. a first geneva cam fixed to said first-in-line disk rotatably therewith, said cam comprising a projection entering said slots in said first geneva wheel to rotate said first geneva wheel through a preselected angle upon each revolution of said firstin-line disk, H. second gear means turning said second-in-line disk in reponse to the rotation of said first geneva wheel, said second gear means comprising intermeshing gears fixed to said second-inline disk and to said first geneva wheel, I. at least one other geneva wheel, comprising a plurality of slots, fixed to a further-in-line of said disks rotatably around the axis of said first shaft means, J. a second geneva cam, rotatably mounted on said second shaft means, and comprising a projection entering said slots in said other geneva wheel and thereby rotating said other geneva wheel and, K. third gear means comprising intermeshing gears fixed to said second-in-line disk and to said second geneva cam for driving said second geneva cam.
 2. The head of claim 1 comprising a pulley driving said first gear means whereby said first gear means can be made responsive to the rotation of said machine.
 3. The head of claim 1 wherein said first geneva wheel comprises only five slots spaced 72* apart, and said other geneva wheel comprises ten slots spaced 36* apart.
 4. The head of claim 1 comprising a second geneva wheel mounted to rotate around said second shaft, said first gear means comprising members being urged in rotation by said second geneva wheel.
 5. The head of claim 4 wherein said second geneva wheel comprises only five slots.
 6. The head of claim 1 wherein said first-in-line of said disks bears only alternate of the tens digits, 0-9, and the remaining of said disks bears each of said ten digits, said alternate digits being repeated on said first-in-line disk whereby a second set of said digits can be used in replacement, said first set being worn. 